Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Sekiro

"I remember, of course I remember, don't worry, Senior Brother Caesar." Lu Mingfei quickly put his phone back in his pocket. "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother. If it were me and Ye Sheng who did it, we definitely wouldn't have been able to do it so well."

"Time is short, so this is the best we can do." Caesar tugged at his collar, stood up, drew back the thick black curtains, and looked towards the entrance of the Norton Building.

Guests in formal attire entered one after another, with ladies placing their hands on gentlemen's and walking slowly down the red carpet with elegant steps.

The piano piece is the seventh movement, Dream, from Robert Schumann's *Scenes from Childhood*, Op. 15. The music is slow and steady, with a melodic rise and fall that is delicate and moving. Under the accompaniment of full and gentle chords, it is permeated with a dreamlike, tranquil, and sweet poetic beauty.

The entire "Scenes from Childhood" suite seems like an adult reminiscing about his happy childhood. However, in fact, it is a love letter written by Robert Schumann to Clara Schumann. Robert's diary clearly records the background story and intentions behind his creation of "Scenes from Childhood".

After listening to the piece, Clara wrote the following in her reply to Robert: "Ah! Your 'Scenes from Childhood' has an indescribable beauty; I wish I could kiss you! I thought yesterday, and I'm still thinking today—could the poet speaking in it really be mine?"

Of the ladies who came to dance today, how many of them could feel the deep love in the music?

Chapter 127 Orange Juice and Milk Candy Flavor

As it approached 7 p.m., student council members were handing out masks at the entrance. Everyone could take one for free and keep it as a souvenir after the dance.

The soothing music created a romantic and warm atmosphere, and men and women entered either hand in hand or alone.

Kaka, a reporter standing guard at the entrance of the Norton building, pressed his camera, and the focus of his gaze and the flash of light was a man and a woman dressed in formal attire.

Susie wore a pale yellow dress that revealed her straight shoulders and collarbone. Her soft, black hair was loosely styled in a bun, with a strand hanging down her neck. A golden orchid hair accessory was tied on the left side of her hair, giving her a subtle and alluring charm.

Chu Zihang stood in front of her, choosing a suitable mask. He was wearing a standard black suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he was a full head taller than Susie.

Beside them was a man and a woman, Ye Sheng and Jiu Deya.

Aki, dressed in a loose-fitting dark purple dress, was chatting with Susie. The two were laughing and talking, as if they were talking about something very happy. Ye Sheng stood obediently next to Aki, carrying a lady's handbag.

"Aki-nee, where are you going to hold your wedding?" Susie asked.

“It should be China, Ye Sheng’s hometown, Sichuan.” Shudeya said with a smile, “Since I’m marrying into that country, I’ll do as the Romans do. I’m all alone anyway, so it doesn’t matter where I go. I don’t have any relatives in the Japanese branch, so I can make the decision about marriage on my own.”

“This…” Susie opened her mouth slightly, somewhat surprised.

She had never learned about Akito's background; she only knew that there was such a person who always smiled gently and would greet you politely when you passed by. He was very well-mannered.

I originally thought that Aki Sakura came from a harmonious and well-educated Japanese family, but now, judging from what she said, it seems that she is... an orphan?

“It’s really nothing serious, no need to be so surprised.” Shudeya took Susie’s hand. “I grew up in an orphanage under the assets of the Japanese branch. As you know, before the dragon blood awakens, the difference between hybrids and ordinary people is not that big. It’s about the difference between 100 points and the average score of 60 points. Only after awakening will they break through that boundary and reach a level above 100 points.”

“When I was little, I was just an ordinary girl. Because I was very sensible, the older girls in the orphanage took good care of me. The people from the Japanese branch would regularly conduct blood tests on the children in the orphanage. If they were found to be of mixed race, they would be taken away. That’s how I was taken away and raised. There were many children who were taken away before me.”

“Some people were sent back to the world of ordinary people because they were not talented enough, and I never saw them again. Others, like me, joined the Japanese branch, attended preparatory classes with their sponsorship, entered Kassel College, and then went back to work for them after graduation. They kept a bill for each person, recording the cost of raising you from childhood to adulthood. If you wanted to join the executive department of Kassel College and not be their employee, you needed to pay off this bill. This year, the college paid off my debt, so I am now free. From now on, I will live only for myself.”

“Aki, you still have me,” Ye Sheng interjected. “You won’t be alone anymore.”

"When did you start saying things like that?" Shudeya turned around, tilted her head, poked Ye Sheng's face with her index finger, and asked with a smile, "Can you tell me where you learned that?"

"I learned it all from books!" Ye Sheng immediately straightened his back, standing as straight as a superior officer on inspection.

Even before they were married, his henpecked nature was becoming increasingly apparent.

The word "耙" in Mandarin means "soft" or "soft-hearted". "耙耳朵" means "soft-hearted" or "soft-hearted". It is because some men are always dragged home by their wives by the ears. So, men who are afraid of their wives are called "耙耳朵".

Jiu Deya patted Ye Sheng's back and playfully tickled him. Ye Sheng's face turned bright red, but he didn't utter a sound.

"That's so nice..." Susie whispered.

She watched the two flirting, then glanced at Chu Zihang, who stood before her like a steel plate, and sighed softly.

Aki Shutoku's past life was much more tragic than hers. She grew up in an orphanage and had to be "sensible" to please adults from a young age. Even after being selected and trained by the Japanese branch, she was burdened with debt, as if she were shackled.

As one of the few "A" grade bloodlines in the academy, Susie's parents were not executive officers of the Kassel Academy. Although her father and mother were mixed-race, they did not have any bloodline rating and just lived an ordinary life.

Dragon genes exhibit dominant and recessive traits. Children from the same parents may have one being a highly pure hybrid and the other an ordinary human. There are no reliable scientific methods to detect the dominant and recessive traits in dragon genes. This is why Kassel College conducts interviews and exams around the world every year. Otherwise, there would be no need to recruit students; they could simply recruit from various hybrid families.

Of course, the offspring of a high-purity bloodline have a very high probability of also being a mixed-race individual with a high-purity bloodline, but this is rather mysterious. Historically, there have been cases where two "A-grade" individuals gave birth to an ordinary person, and there have also been cases where two ordinary people gave birth to an "A-grade" fetus.

Susie's parents were a mixed-race couple with very little dragon blood. Their names were only recorded in Norma's file. From childhood to adulthood, apart from getting better grades, being a little prettier than others, and having better athletic ability than others, they were not much different from ordinary people.

But Susie showed her uniqueness from a young age. She was the "other people's child" that other parents talked about. Her grades were always the best in the school. She was also good at all kinds of extracurricular activities. She was good at both academics and sports and was number one in everything.

It wasn't until she was eighteen and Kassel College interviewed her, that she learned the truth and resolutely joined Kassel.

Because she believes that she can find people who understand each other here.

Being too outstanding is not a good thing. When she was in elementary school, she was very puzzled by the confusing behavior of her classmates. Later, she gradually realized that it was not her classmates who had problems, but she.

Before coming to Kassel, she had no friends. Socializing with others was like an adult comforting a child; she felt no joy, only exhaustion. This was probably what was meant by 'the sorrow of blood'.

"A-level" bloodlines are extremely rare. Even worldwide, the total number of "A-level" individuals does not exceed 1000, and "S-level" individuals are even fewer than 20. In the current academy, there are only thirteen "A-level" individuals, averaging only three per year. Susie's year has five.

She, Nono, Caesar, Chu Zihang, and Lancelot.

She, Lancelot, and Chu Zihang joined the Lionheart Society, while Nono and Caesar joined the student council.

Gradually, the word "loneliness" disappeared from her life. "Blood Sorrow" brought loneliness, but it also attracted mixed-race people to gather. She made friends in the Lionheart Society, became roommates and best friends with Nono, and also found... the person who made her heart flutter.

She didn't know when it started, but she had gotten used to standing behind Chu Zihang. The first thing she thought of when the ball invitation arrived was his cold face. She once thought that the restless heart of adolescence would never come, but she didn't expect that it was just delayed for a few years.

"How about this one?" Chu Zihang handed over a white masquerade mask.

Susie wore a pale yellow dress. Yellow is the most delicate of all colors. If a small amount of other colors are mixed into pure yellow, its hue and color characteristics will change significantly.

Chu Zihang is a very meticulous person with a delicate personality and attention to detail. He has a lot of experience in taking care of people because he has a very unreliable mother.

This mask was carefully selected; a small amount of white was added to the yellow to soften its color.

Susie has sharp, defined features and rarely smiles, like a high-and-mighty flower that's hard to approach. Her hairstyle and facial features don't quite match today, but paired with this white mask, the cold and aloof feel of her pale yellow dress is softened, making her more reserved and approachable. After covering her eyes, it perfectly neutralizes that slight sense of disharmony.

Susie took the mask, put it on, and smiled slightly. "I like it very much."

She'll like any color he chooses, no matter what.

She doesn't understand color matching, but she's somewhat proficient at assembling sniper rifle parts. This outfit was borrowed from Nono, and Nono also helped her with her hairstyle.

Nono's exact words: "Your face is too cold. If you don't comb your hair more softly, you'll look like an ice cube. Two ice cubes put together won't warm you up."

"Then let's go in." Chu Zihang took out a pure black mask, and his golden eyes, which never went out, flowed with a molten lava-like light.

Susie placed her hand on Chu Zihang's left elbow, a polite gesture usually used between a daughter and her father, or between friends, and sometimes between a male boss and his female secretary. Real couples, such as Jiu Deya and Ye Sheng, would hook their arms together and press their bodies close together.

The four strolled toward the ballroom, the soothing rhythm of "Scenes from Childhood" lingering in their ears. Inside the Norton Hall, a stage was set up, a classical piano was placed in the center, and a pianist dressed in a tuxedo was immersed in the dance of his fingers and the keys.

On the table beside them were fruits: fresh grapes, lychees still attached to the vine, and plump red apples...

Boston creamy lobster, German roast suckling pig, French foie gras, Peking duck...

A wide variety of delicious foods are on display, a dazzling array.

Waiters carrying trays served drinks to each guest. Outside the main stage, there were many smaller stages, which looked like venues for some small events.

Susie took a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. She didn't like drinking alcohol; a sniper couldn't drink, as alcohol would make her judgments wrong. She took a sip; it was sour at first, but after tasting it, it had a sweet aftertaste. The slight bitterness couldn't mask its sweetness.

As the music drew to a close, after the performance of Schumann's Dream, all the lights went out, leaving only one beam of light shining on the stage.

The world seemed to have become a black box, and in the darkness, golden pupils burned.

This makeup mask is completely useless; everyone knows that only one person in the academy possesses such golden eyes.

Susie moved a tiny bit closer to the person next to her, just a tiny bit. If she got any closer, she might scare him away, but if she stayed any further away, she was afraid he would slip away from her.

If one falls into this boundless darkness, one may never find their way back.

Caesar and Lu Mingfei appeared in that beam of light, and the entire audience fell silent, all eyes turning to them.

“You should feel honored to be here at the ball hosted by Lu Mingfei and me,” Caesar said. “Everyone standing here represents that you have earned my approval.”

"..."

On stage, Caesar delivered a raucous speech.

"Does he always talk like this?" Shudeya asked Ye Sheng in a soft voice.

The two hid in a corner and spoke in hushed tones.

“You’ll get used to it. That’s just the kind of person he is,” Ye Sheng replied.

"By the way, why did you receive an invitation? We're not familiar with Caesar, and we keep to ourselves. Did Lu Mingfei really send you to support us?" Aki asked.

“Yes…yes…” Ye Sheng pointed to Lu Mingfei standing next to Caesar, “Look at him, he doesn’t dare to say a word. If we hadn’t come, he wouldn’t have any acquaintances left.”

“But I can’t dance.” Aki lowered her head. “What should we do? Wear masks and beat up Caesar for him? We should prepare a sack, put him in it, and he won’t know who he is.”

“No, his men are everywhere here, watching us. We won’t have a chance to make a move,” Ye Sheng said.

"No, do you really want to beat him up?" Aji fooled Ye Sheng into thinking, "I was just joking. When the time comes, people from the student union will come after me, and I won't care about you."

"It's okay, you go first, I'll hold them off." Ye Sheng gave a thumbs up, revealing his white teeth.

"Idiot." Aki held Ye Sheng's hand and slowly rested her head on his shoulder. "I have a question for you. Answer me honestly and don't lie. If you lie to me, I will go back to Japan, change my name, have the academy process my withdrawal, have my memories erased, and then go to Saitama Prefecture to open a flower shop. I will make a living selling flowers there, marry a country bumpkin, have children, and forget you completely."

"Then I'll go to Saitama Prefecture, dress up as a country bumpkin, flirt with the owner of a newly opened flower shop, marry her, have children, and forget about you completely," Ye Sheng whispered in Jiu Deya's ear.

"You dare!" Aki pouted.

Ye Sheng felt a sharp pain in the soft flesh of his waist and couldn't help but grit his teeth.

"I'm asking you, why did you put candy under my pillow that day?" Aki and Ye Sheng looked at each other solemnly. "No lying, no deceiving me, no sweet talk."

"Why...don't you like milk candy...?" Ye Sheng whispered, "When we led the team together in the sailing competition, you would secretly go to buy milk candy at noon. Didn't you say that only the most obedient children in the orphanage got to eat milk candy?"

"Isn't there any other reason?"

"Hmm... I don't think there are any left... I originally wanted to buy them for myself, but I don't know what got into me that day, I just grabbed a handful and put them in my pocket under your pillow. I was so stupid." Ye Sheng trembled all over and hugged himself tightly. "God, I never want to think back to those seven hellish days in my life."

“That must be what you really think, since only you could say something like that.” Aki nodded, stroking her chin.

"There's one more thing. How did you know I went to buy milk candy at noon?" Aki asked, squinting her eyes. "Did you follow me?"

"Haha...hahaha...hahahaha..." Ye Sheng pulled a White Rabbit candy from his suit pocket, his voice extremely exaggerated, "Oh dear, how come there's a candy here!"

He unwrapped the candy and slowly placed it on Aki's lips. His fingers touched the girl's warm, moist lips, and the soft touch reminded him of the passionate kiss beneath the Bronze Castle.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and all the noise disappeared.

“Aki, I love you,” he whispered.

“Then love me, like the moon falling, causing the tide to spread throughout the world, like I love you, with vanity and fear,” Aki replied softly.

The girl wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and, in a corner where no one was watching, kissed him deeply.

It might be just a fleeting moment, or it might feel like an eternity. Time seemed to stand still in that instant, and Ye Sheng couldn't help but think, "So, a kiss can taste like candy."